India produces 39 .73 lakh tonnes sugar till Nov 2018

New Delhi, Dec 5: Sugar production till November 30, 2018 in the current 2018-19 sugar season is 39.73 lakh tonnes, which was 39.14 lakh tonnes last year on November 30, 2017.

As compared to 450 sugar factories which were crushing sugarcane last year on November 30, 2017, 415 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane till the date this year.

In Maharashtra, 167 sugar mills have started crushing operations and are running in full swing. As on November 30, 2018, these mills have produced 18.05 lakh tonnes, 21 per cent higher than the sugar production of last year on the same date.

In the case of Uttar Pradesh 109 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane on November 30, this year and have produced 9.50 lakh tonnes till that date.

At the end of November, 2017 last year, 108 sugar mills were crushing in Uttar Pradesh who had produced 13.11 lakh tones.

Sugar production this year is slow as compared to last year because in the current season, sugar mills had a delayed start of crushing by a fortnight or so.

In Karnataka, 63 sugar mills were crushing on November 30, 2018 and 7.93 lakh tonnes of sugar was produced. As compared to this, last year as on November 30, 2017, 62 sugar mills were operating this time who had produced 7.02 lakh tonnes of sugar.

In Gujarat, 16 sugar mills were crushing on till the date and they have produced 1.95 lakh tonnes of sugar. Last year on the same date, 17 mills were in operation and they had produced 1.78 lakh tonnes of sugar.

Crushing operations in all the other states have also begun and slowly the pace of crushing is picking up. About 60 sugar mills are operating in other states who have produced 2.30 lakh tonnes in this season upto November 30, 2018, which in the previous season was 2.35 lakh tonnes, when 91 mills were operating as on the date last year. (UNI)